HAIA] PISCES (CARTILAG.) PLAGIOSTOMI. 515 



dark spot surrounded with a white circle ; the other with a black spot 

 within a white circle, the whole surrounded by five equidistant dark 

 spots. Another variety is in the Museum of the Cambridge Philoso- 

 phical Society, in which the upper parts are pale orange-yellow, with 

 light rufous brown spots. 



This species, although very common and well characterized, has been 

 so misunderstood and confused with others, that it is extremely difficult 

 to attach to it its proper synonyms. For this reason I have adopted the 

 name given it by Montagu, who was the first in this country to point out 

 its true distinguishing characters. It is undoubtedly the R. Rubus of 

 Donovan, and most probably the Puller Ray of Pennant, who describing 

 from an adult male, appears to have considered the sexual spines as 

 characteristic of the species. It is impossible to identify it with certainty 

 in the works of Turton and Fleming*, both of whom appear to have 

 mixed up the description of this with that of other species. It is known 

 on some parts of the coast by the name of Hommelin, on others by that 

 of Sand-Ray. 



204. R. microcellata, Mont. (Small-eyed Ray.) 

 Teeth obtusely cuneiform : skin rough with minute spines : 

 one row of small hooked spines on the tail, continued along 

 the dorsal ridge to the head : eyes remarkably small. 



R. microcellata, Mont, in Wern. Mem. vol. n. p. 430. Flem. Brit, 

 An. p. 171. 



DIMENS. Total length twenty inches : length of the tail nine inches : 

 breadth fourteen inches. MONT. 



DESCRIPT. (Form.) Resembling in shape the R. maculata, but rather 

 more obtuse in front, and particularly distinguished by the comparative 

 smallness of the eyest: teeth obtusely cuneiform, with a broad edge, 

 that feels rough to the finger as it is withdrawn from the mouth ; in one 

 jaw fifty-three, in the other fifty-six, longitudinal rows, closely connected: 

 skin on the upper side rough with minute spines ; the under side smooth : 

 in one specimen there was observed a single large spine, with a broad 

 base, before one of the eyes; (possibly in older fish that part may be 

 more spinous;) above the eyes, the spinulee were rather larger than 

 those which cover the whole upper surface : one row of small hooked 

 spines on the tail, continued along the dorsal ridge to the head. (Colours.) 

 Upper parts plain brown, with the exception of a few scattered pale spots 

 and lines on the margins of the wings : under parts white. MONT. 



This species appears to have been observed hitherto only by Montagu, 

 who obtained two females, the largest not exceeding the dimensions 

 above given. He states that it appears to be confounded with the 

 R. chagrinea, both being indiscriminately called Dun-Cow by the 

 fishermen in the West of England. Whether it be the same as any of 

 those described by continental authors is uncertain. 



* The R. Fullonica of Turton is partly applicable to the above species and partly to the 

 R. chagrinea last described. The R. Rubus of the same author may be the same as the R. macu- 

 lata of Montagu, but the description is not quite correct, nor sufficiently precise to enable one to 

 speak with certainty on this point. The R. Rubus of Fleming agrees with the R. maculata in 

 gome of its characters, but not in others. 



t Montagu says, " The eyes of the specimen described did not exceed half an inch in diameter 

 from the opposite angles of the eye-lids ; whereas the R. maculata, and most others of similar 

 size, have eyes nearly double that diameter." 



K K2 



